Cartilage problemThe 26-year-old was recovering from a cartilage problem when he arrived in Spain during the summer, and played just ten minutes of a friendly game before the injury struck again. Having been sidelined since, and with no recovery in sight, César Peixoto has been allowed to return to Porto. Espanyol visit Maccabi Haifa FC in the first leg of their UEFA Cup Round of 16 tie next week.

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